WWEST Blog

What is Athena SWAN?On International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Feb 11 the Science Minister announced the draft for the Athena SWAN charter in Canada. The charter was made popular in the UK and has now been brought here as the made-for-Canada charter.

Depictions of Women in STEM: Shuri, Black PantherWhen Black Panther came out early last year the world was introduced to Princess Shuri, portrayed by Letitia Wright, a spunky and sarcastic 16-year old who also happens to be a brilliant tech inventor.

2018: A Year in ReviewLots of things have happened in 2018 and we’ve been pretty productive here at WWEST. We’ve worked hard at not only expanding our current projects, but adding new ones as well.

Influential Women of Colour in STEMGender bias is a heavy contributor to the issues women face in trying to secure a STEM job. Additionally, racial bias plays an equally trying role for people of colour in western communities. The difficulty is elevated with the combination of the two, which is why Women of Colour (WOC) in STEM fields are 77% more likely than other women to report “having to prove themselves over and over again”.

Is Passiveness in Wage Negotiations to Blame for Pay Gap?If you’re a woman tirelessly trying to make your way up the pecking order, you’ve likely heard the argument – possibly even from friends or family members – that women do not advance at the same rate as men in high profile companies due to their lack of action or aggression when negotiating advancement.